


Good Night

by magicalxn



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Pacifist Route, Romance, Spoilers, Spoilers - Pacifist Route, Video & Computer Games, like the whole ending of the pacifist route is spoiled ok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 19:53:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6534232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicalxn/pseuds/magicalxn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Moments before Japan is to head off to bed, America pops in with an unexpected Skype call, insisting that he play some game that came out in his country a while back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good Night

**Author's Note:**

> i was debating whether or not i should also put this in the undertale tag but i think it has enough to do with undertale to go in there, so  
> anyway overall this is probably muddled but i really wanted to write something with japan and america that involved the former playing undertale and having a lot of feelings  
> plus there isn't enough ameripan fanfic out there anyways  
> big heads up: this contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the pacifist ending of undertale, so if you haven't played that but intend to and don't want it spoiled, you probably should not read this

It wasn’t until about nine o’clock at night that Japan, after a long day of work, had finally finished and was able to settle down and relax. There was something incredibly satisfying about knowing that he’d been productive throughout the day and had gotten everything done he’d needed to, which made the time he had to relax all the more wonderful. His work consisted of many long Skype calls with various leaders in his country and stacks upon stacks of paperwork that needed filling out being faxed to him, and he was glad to have these few moments after his long day, even if he knew that only after a short while he would grow sleepy while reading the words off of his dim computer screen and head off to bed.

He idly grabbed the cup of tea sitting on his desk and took a sip of it, savoring its rich flavor and breathing out a deep sigh. His eyes shut for a few moments as he took the time to enjoy the peace and quiet and the warmth that tingled at his hands, and he even found himself dozing off and struggling to stay awake. He set the cup aside to avoid dropping it and spilling it, and then tiredly rubbed at his eyes. He was beginning to resent the fact that he couldn’t keep up with many of the younger nations anymore.

Just then, the familiar sound of Skype ringing startled him. He jumped in his chair, and, now wide awake, let out a huff. He'd been in Skype calls with people all day; what more could they want from him, especially at this late hour and after he’d been promised that the last worksheet they faxed him was the very last one? However, as he checked to see who was calling, he noted that it wasn’t one of his leaders, but instead, a fellow country.

Glancing at the clock, Japan mentally did the math. It would've been about eight AM where he was now…the Asian nation didn’t know why his friend would be up at such an early hour, or why he would want to talk, but he quickly made a move to answer the call before it automatically ended. Before he accepted it, he wondered if he should try and fix his disheveled appearance after his long day, but decided against it. After all, the nation on the other end probably wouldn’t care.

“Hey dude! Glad I could catch you before you headed off to bed! What’re you up to?” He heard America’s cheery, too-loud voice (especially given the time) before he saw him, but as soon as the webcam image focused, he saw the other nation sitting at his desk in his home, pale light filtering in through a window on the right and illuminating the space. It was definitely morning and America looked tired, dark circles under his eyes and his hair even more disheveled than Japan’s own, but he still wore his trademark big grin.

“Oh…I just got done with work, so I'm…relaxing.” Japan glanced around his own room and then shrugged. Since he wasn’t expecting the sudden Skype call, he hadn't bothered to turn the light on in the room and other than the glow of his computer’s screen illuminating his face, it was dark. “What about you? Isn’t it very early in the morning? Aren’t you tired?”

The blond scratched his head and gave a shrug, his toothy smile never leaving his face. “Kinda am, yeah, but for a good reason! You remember that show you recommended to me a couple weeks ago?” The nation barely had a moment to think about what it was exactly he'd told America he should watch before his friend launched into speaking again. “I just marathoned the whole thing! Dude, it was _so good_. I can’t believe I waited so long to watch it…I probably should’ve listened to you when you first told me about it, huh?” he let out a booming round of laughter and the black-haired nation winced at the loud sound in his ears.

Honestly, America probably should’ve listened to a lot of things when people told him the first time. “Yes, well, I'm glad you liked One Punch Man, America-san…I thought you would.” He mustered up a tired smile in response. “It would've been better if you watched it while it was airing, though. Then you wouldn’t have to watch it all in one night and tire yourself out like this.”

Again, America laughed his infamous laugh. “C’mon Japan, you know I hate waiting for new episodes every week! This is a whole lot easier, and it wasn’t a super long anime or anything. Plus, I’m not even that tired!” His appearance certainly said otherwise. “I can keep myself awake for days by chugging Mountain Dew and eating shit! There’s a McDonald’s like, right down the block from my place that’s open all night. I went in at three AM and bought a ton of breakfast burritos!”

Idly, Japan propped his head up with his hand as he watched America speak. He didn’t know when he stopped listening to his words and instead focused on the animated gestures and big smiles he gave, despite the early hour. His friend was certainly quirky, but he found his strange antics, so different from his own, to be refreshing at times, especially on long days like these where he’d be subject to sitting through the same old thing over and over again.

“Yo, Japan? You falling asleep there or something? Just asked if you were tired too. After all, it’s pretty late there and you’re like an old man when it comes to sleep.”

The blond’s voice brought him from his thoughts and the Asian nation stuttered a bit, trying to cover up the fact that he wasn’t really listening to his friend but rather lost in thought instead. “A-Ah, I suppose I am a little tired, but…I am not an old man. I don’t go to bed this early.” It was a blatant lie and his friend knew it, but he ignored his snickering and instead went on. “But you called me this early just to tell me you liked One Punch Man?”

“Well, yeah. But that’s not all.” America was fiddling with something Japan couldn’t see off to one side of the screen, his eyes focused on the object rather than on his camera. “I wanted to tell you that a new game was released in my country a while ago, and I wanted to see if you were interested in playing it.” Sharing cultures was one of the main things Japan and America did together; whenever one would release a new TV show or video game or movie, they’d call up the other to share it.

America always loved everything Japan created whole-heartedly. When he announced his latest Pokémon game, he remembered the blond getting so excited that he’d dropped everything – and he was apparently in the middle of a meeting with his president and his president’s advisors – and hopped on the next flight to his country, even though Japan had insisted that the games were still in their early stages of development and weren’t at all ready for release or even beta testing yet.

Of course, he’d also played his fair share of America’s games, but he always found that they never really excited him as much as he wanted them to. Sure, the first Call of Duty was pretty cool, but it had been years since its release and it seemed that America was keen to release a new one every year with so-called _new features_ , even though the games were all exactly the same. He’d played endless baseball and football games, none of which really managed to capture his interest, and one time he’d even somehow been roped into playing a NASCAR game, which he found to be just a boring, overly complex version of Mario Kart.

Needless to say, he wasn’t exactly looking forward to whatever new game America had in store for him, but as he’d always simply told his friend that he liked what he made in order to avoid complicating their relationship, he had to grin and bear it. “Yes? You know I always like your games, America-san.” The words tasted bitter on his tongue and he had to take a sip of his tea to wash it away. “What’s this one about?”

Expecting some new sports fusion game or yet another RockBand, he was surprised to see the blond’s grin grow soft and his voice lower in volume. “It’s called Undertale.” He said the title of the game in an affectionate, almost reverent way. “It’s a really good game. I can’t tell you too much about it, because I want you to play it for yourself, but…basically, you play as a human that fell down into a world of monsters and needs to get back home. It’s an RPG. You like RPGs, right?”

He nodded. RPGs were probably his favorite type of game, as evident by how many he’d made himself. He recalled a few America made in the past…Skyrim was one of them he’d actually truly enjoyed, but it had been so long since it had come out and in the meantime, his friend had simply reverted to mass-producing Call of Duty like he always did. “Cool! I knew you were gonna be interested in it, so I went ahead and gifted it to you on Steam. You’re welcome.”

The American’s grin was smug. “Oh…uh…thank you. I guess I can play some of it before I go to bed.” He had already opened up Steam and was looking through his library, and sure enough, there it was. Strangely, the game’s title screen was simple. He was expecting explosions, loud colors, and flashy artwork, but it was just the name _UNDERTALE_ written in white one a black background. It was oddly minimalist for someone as loud and proud as America was.

“And one last thing before you play! I don’t want to outright tell you what to do, but…maybe read up on the game a little bit before playing. And listen to the characters, yeah? That’s really important.” He’d opened up the Skype window again to see the other nation smiling affectionately. “I know they might seem insignificant, but…this game has lots of different endings, and it’ll help you get the best one! Promise!” He grinned his normal, excited grin and thumped his chest with a fist. “I’m gonna leave you to play now, ‘kay? Mostly ‘cause I’m so tired I’ll probably pass out any second, but…yeah! Talk to you later dude!”

Before Japan could get in a word in edgewise or even tell him goodbye, America had already ended the Skype call and the window closed, leaving him staring at the open Steam screen and the game he had given him. He wondered momentarily if he should actually try and play the game or just simply go to bed, given that he was already growing tired, but he knew the blond would likely call him sometime soon to ask about it, so he clicked the button to begin installing the game. A few minutes before bed couldn’t hurt, right?

While waiting for it to finish, the nation stood and headed into the kitchen to prepare a fresh cup of tea as well as stretch after sitting for so long. When he returned, the game had finished its download and was ready to be played. He grabbed a blanket and sat in his chair, wrapping it around himself to get settled. Before playing, he decided to at least read some of the information of it on Steam like America had said to.

After a few minutes of browsing the page, he’d gathered that it was a simple RPG, made mostly by one person, with a humorous storyline and apparently great characters. Some odd quirks he noticed were the fact that the creator seemed obsessed with dogs – which was a very American thing, in his eyes – and that you could apparently date a skeleton. It was all very strange, but what stood out the most to him was the subtitle: _The RPG game where you don’t have to destroy anyone._

It wasn’t the first of its kind in this aspect; there were other games where killing wasn’t required to win, but in his experience of playing these types of games, he always eventually got too frustrated and ended up resorting to violence to get out of situations. However, the features of the game made it seem like it was truly, honestly a game where violence was completely unnecessary, and he figured that must’ve been the so-called _good ending_ America was talking about, so he might as well try for it

. He clicked the icon to start the game and was a little startled by the sudden loud, chiptune music in his ears. Another feature of the game was said to be a great soundtrack; he’d have to judge it for himself. Accompanying the little tune was an animation that he paused to watch. He didn’t know how vital it was to the story, but decided to see it through anyways. It almost reminded him of the intro to Pokémon games and how an animation would always play before they began, as long as you didn’t hit any buttons.

The opening told a story about a war that broke out between humans and monsters. As it advanced, the text explaining the story disappeared and instead gave a view of what appeared to be a child falling down into a hole – into what Japan presumed was named _Mount Ebott_ – in an unknown year. He figured this must've been the human America was talking about that had fallen into a world of monsters.

As the music faded, the title screen for the game popped up and it was the same minimalist screen he’d been so perplexed by in his Steam library. He pressed enter and was taken to an instructions screen, which he read and carefully took note of, before being taken to a screen that prompted him to enter a name. Neither America nor the game’s description on Steam had offered any advice on this, so he figured it wouldn’t really matter, and having nothing other to think of at that late hour, he merely entered _Nihon_ and pressed enter.

The game began with his character, a small brown-haired child in a striped sweater, atop a pile of golden flowers. The controls were simple enough, as were the graphics, so he advanced onward through a door and was suddenly stopped by a flower. The little flower seemed innocent enough as it told him of love and his friendship and his small heart-shaped soul, so he went along with what it said, even though it was glaringly obvious something bad was going to happen.

Surprise: the flower turned out to be evil. He wasn’t surprised at all by the so-called twist, as he’d figured it would be that way, considering it was supposed to be a world full of scary monsters. But he’d done what America had suggested to do and listened to the characters, and this _Flowey_ – how original of a name – had wanted him to run into the very obvious bullets, and so he had.

He was a little surprised – and disappointed – however, to find that he did not get to fight the flower and was instead approached by some sort of goat monster. She confirmed her name to be _Toriel_ and the place they were in _The Ruins_. She wanted him to follow her, so he did as she asked and left the flower, which had been defeated by her attack, behind. He wondered if maybe he’d get the chance to fight her; after all, it was an RPG and these were the monsters, which seemed to be the enemies. Flowey was eager enough to kill his character, but so far it appeared that Toriel didn’t want to hurt him.

He followed her through a series of easy-to-solve puzzles, one that included a training dummy that he assumed was to teach you how to fight. However, as Toriel explained that he should try to solve the fight diplomatically rather than through violence, just like the game’s description on steam, he found himself intrigued. He’d never really tried to play a strictly pacifist route in games such as these, so he decided he would humor her when it came to the fight with the training dummy. After all, it probably couldn’t hit back, so there wasn’t really anything at stake.

The music changed as the fight began and a menu appeared with four options: FIGHT, ACT, ITEM, or MERCY. His fingers itched to hit the fight button, as he so often did in these types of games and if only just to see what the combat system was like, but he would do as Toriel asked of him. Japan didn’t know where he’d find a talk button, so he simply chose ACT. Sure enough, it brought up anything menu that allowed him to talk to the dummy. That ended the fight with a flavor text describing Toriel being pleased and he let out a _hm_ of intrigue, pausing for a moment to sip at his tea before it got too cold.

After a few more puzzles, including a seemingly real enemy that he tried to talk to but Toriel quickly scared off, he was left alone, wondering if he was supposed to stay put as she had instructed. America had said to listen to the characters, but...something told him that if he simply stayed put he might be standing there forever without the game advancing. So he continued on to the next room where an enemy was waiting for him. He talked to it, anticipating a fight, but it only wanted to share a few words with him, about using MERCY if a monster didn’t want to fight.

The words were yellow, so he figured there must have been some significance to them, but he didn’t know what it was yet. The monsters of the underground – besides Flowey, anyway – seemed to really be pushing the whole MERCY thing, so he wondered if that was what he was really supposed to do. Could he actually advance through the game without killing a single thing, like the description on Steam stated? He wasn’t sure if his patience could tolerate it, but he supposed he would try. After all, America said listening to the monsters would yield the best ending, and he couldn’t pinpoint anything else they were saying that applied to him.

A few fights later and Japan had managed to stumble his way through more of the game. It took him a bit, but he eventually figured out that after doing certain actions, monsters were ready to be spared as denoted by the yellow name they wore. After already figuring it out, he’d stumbled across a Froggit – one of the enemies, also very creatively named, given it looked like a frog – that had told him about the mechanic, albeit too late.

He even crossed paths with a little ghost monster named Napstablook. It was a fun fight, albeit difficult, given that it required more than one action and therefore, real dodging. Japan thought he was beginning to get pretty good at it, given he’d had his fair share of experience with bullet-hell type games. The character itself was cute, in his eyes, and the normal fight music had changed into a jazzy tune that he found himself nodding his head along to.

Overall, he guessed he was enjoying the game so far, or at least more than he’d thought he would. At the end of all the puzzles, he was pretty satisfied to say that he hadn’t hurt a single monster. He was again approached by Toriel who led his character to her home and baked him a pie. After exploring the house and wearing out every bit of dialogue he could, he approached her again and asked how to exit the Ruins.

The nation knew that, as soon as she stood and left, this was the fight he was waiting for. He even left and prepared by gathering a few healing items. He wondered if he should grind and try to level up, but didn’t know any way to do so without killing a monster, so he merely saved the game and headed down the stairs to what he assumed was the fight with Toriel.

As soon as the music changed, Japan got the vibe that the fight was going to be different. He tried talking to the goat monster at first, but after a few turns, it seemed that it wasn’t going to work. Toriel still wasn’t ready to be spared, however, so he was stumped on what he was supposed to do, and despite all of his experience with these sorts of games, he was losing health.

Seeing no other option, he decided to fight her. Maybe it was like Pokémon, and if he got her health down enough, he’d be able to win. As her health bar wore down, he found himself checking the option to spare her again and again, but it had yet to turn yellow. He began to doubt it was possible, especially as his attacks did more and more damage, but he continued on, figuring that maybe if he got her down to a slither of health, she’d give in.

However, she never did, because her health never got that low. With about a fifth of her HP left, he did a massive attack that sapped her of her remaining HP. He had dealt the killing blow without meaning to, and worried that he’d messed up getting the best ending, he immediately closed the game, hoping it didn’t have an autosave feature that would invalidate all the work he’d done thus far.

Luckily, when he started the game again, it began from the save point he’d stopped at before the fight. Momentarily, the nation wondered if he should maybe call America and ask for advice on what to do, but then remember he’d said he wanted to sleep. He couldn’t bring himself to disturb his friend like that, even if it was for help on the game. Instead, he merely launched into the fight again, unsure of what to do.

Again he tried talking to Toriel, and again, it proved unsuccessful. However, the text was different than last time, as it read _You thought about telling Toriel that you saw her die_. It made him uneasy; did the game know that he’d accidentally killed the goat monster, but restarted it to try again without saving? He wasn’t sure if games could do that, but he shrugged it off and resumed the game. This time, he kept trying to talk to her, but to no avail. Her attacks whittled down his HP until he had no items left but the pie she had given him. It was apparently an item that healed all his HP, and he didn’t want to waste it so easily, given that it may come in handy in a later battle, but if he didn’t use it, he knew he’d be finished.

Figuring he could just allow himself to be killed and start over with the battle again, the Asian nation merely continued to try and talk. Her attacks began to deal less and less damage as time went on, and as she brought him down to a dismal 2 HP, the attack suddenly stopped. He was seriously considering using the pie now, but decided to see if he could last through one more attack. Surprisingly enough, the fireballs parted in his wake, moving so that they wouldn’t hit him.

He thought maybe it was just a pattern he hadn’t seen before by some miraculous stroke of luck, so he tried again. But sure enough, the same attack repeated itself, and even moving towards the fireballs caused them to move out of his way as well. He couldn’t be hit by them. Toriel’s sprite had changed, too. She was looking off to the side sheepishly, as if she couldn’t bring herself to harm his character. He checked to see if she was ready to be spared, but her name still was not yellow.

However, it was the only thing he hadn’t tried yet, and he figured he might as well, especially if he had a couple of turns where she wasn’t attacking.

So he did; and at first, he thought it didn’t do anything, but then noticed that Toriel had some new dialogue. It was a stretch, but maybe if he did it again, something else might happen. So he did; and again, new dialogue popped up. Even though she wasn’t ready to be spared, he knew now what he was supposed to do, so he continued to hit the MERCY button again and again. Continuously, Toriel urged him to attack her or run away, which admittedly, wasn’t something he thought of doing, but now he knew he had to spare her, even if she wasn’t ready.

Eventually her attacks stopped altogether and he continuously spared her again and again. New dialogue popped up each and every time, which only strengthened his resolve that he was doing the right thing. Finally, the battle ended and Japan breathed a sigh of relief. He felt a sense of accomplishment that he was able to finish the battle without having to kill Toriel, especially since he had made the mistake of doing that at first.

He was able to advance beyond the ruins then. Flowey popped up again and Japan mentally prepared himself for a fight – and a tough one at that, especially because he only had 2 HP left over from his fight with Toriel – but one did not occur. Flowey merely taunted him and then left, but not before creeping him out by saying _You murdered her. And then you went back, because you regretted it._ The words, eerily similar to when he’d tried to talk to Toriel during his second playthrough of the battle, shook him. It couldn’t be a mere coincidence that the game had included that dialogue. It had to know that he’d killed Toriel and went back without saving…but how could it possibly do that?

Figuring he’d talk to America about it later, Japan returned to the game, eager to move past the flower and the fight with Toriel. As he entered a new area, filled with snow and trees, he found himself letting out a yawn. He was tired, and he didn’t know how long he’d been playing for, but he wanted to continue. Besides, even if he were to stop, there wasn’t a save point in this area and he didn’t want to risk assuming the game had an autosave feature, so he’d have to at least find a save point before he quit the game and went to bed for the night.

So he continued to play, and play, and play some more. He passed through the snowy area – filled with puzzles crafted by two lovable skeletons named _Sans_ and _Papyrus_ , their silly names and typeface and dialogue riddled with puns and stupid humor making him laugh at the late hour – and it ended with a battle with Papyrus, which had completely changed his expectations of the game. The other skeleton, Sans, had warned him of a _blue attack_ , which he thought he understood perfectly, given that the blue attacks he’d seen so far in the game were all a light blue color that he’d just have to stay perfectly still to avoid.

But, Papyrus had literally managed to turn the little red heart into a little blue heart, and he turned the game from a bullet-hell into a platformer. The fight had been difficult, if only because it had taken a few tries to get used to the new mechanic, but after losing only once he managed to defeat Papyrus, funnily enough, by flirting with him.

It turned out the game’s description on Steam had been right, because after the battle, he doubled back to speak with Papyrus and befriended him through a date. It was quirky and strange to say that he was playing a game where he could date a skeleton at midnight, but it was also refreshing in a way. It wasn’t like any other game he’d played, and that fueled his will to continue on as the hours ticked away.

He’d advanced into another area of the game after that, where there resided a fish woman who wished to take his soul. This area wasn’t as silly and humorous and the battle with the boss, named _Undyne_ , had been honestly difficult. It had taken him a while to figure out yet another new mechanic that was introduced – one that turned his soul green and required him to shield himself from oncoming arrows – and even longer to realize that he was actually _supposed_ to run away to win the fight.

After that area, he’d advanced to what was probably his favorite area of the game. It was a land with a strange dinosaur scientist named _Alphys_ and an entertainment robot she built named _Mettaton_ , and all throughout this section, the game was peppered with references to his culture, anime in particular. He didn’t think he’d laughed at any of the jokes harder than when Alphys had begun talking about her favorite show, _Mew Mew Kissy Cutie_ , which was a painfully obvious parody of his own _Tokyo Mew Mew_.

He had to admit, he was a little sad to leave this region of the game and move to the next, but the boss battle made up for it. Mettaton, Alphys’ robot who was a mere rectangle on a wheel with arms, had transformed into some sort of humanoid effeminate dancing legbot that looked and moved eerily similar to the likes of characters on the anime _Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure_ , so much so that he’d laughed for about a solid minute after the character first made his transformation, so unfocused that it took him even more tries to get used to the new mechanic of that boss battle and defeat him.

As he neared what he suspected was the end of the game – given that Alphys had dropped many hints to the next area being the monster king’s castle, and where the portal was that Japan could lead his character home – he found himself having more and more fun playing it. Every enemy was its own character, almost, even the most insignificant of NPCs. The bosses were as fleshed-out as any character he’d seen in a game, and he found himself caring for them more and more as it went on. The changing mechanics of battle managed to really spark his interest and the game had been right in saying that it boasted a great soundtrack, for with each new area and battle he found himself smiling, tapping his foot along to the beat of the songs that played in the background.

Finally, the Asian nation was on his way into the monster king’s castle. Advancing further, he stumbled upon an area – dubbed _New Home_ , he later found out after using the save point in the area – that strangely resembled Toriel’s little home in the Ruins. A lone guitar began to play, striking out a soft melody that he instantly recognized within the game; it was the same song that had played back a few areas ago, when he’d solved a puzzle with a piano by placing an umbrella on top of a statue’s head to block it from the rain.

When a piano began to accompany the guitar, however, Japan knew that this song was slightly different and he made his way inside the house.

He figured he was supposed to head downstairs again, but found the way roped off. He read the note attached, which he assumed was from the king of monsters himself, _Asgore_. It stated something along the lines of keys being in the kitchen and in the hallway, so he decided to head to his left and into the kitchen first.

He jumped a bit at the sudden sound of a random encounter breaking into the music, but surprisingly enough, the song didn’t fade away and continued to play even as the monster appeared: two little Froggits, the first enemy he’d seen in the game. However, the fight didn’t go as normal; he wasn’t given the option to make the first move as he always did, and instead of attacking, the monsters spoke to him. _A long time ago, a human fell into the RUINS. Injured by its fall, the human called out for help._

The battle then ended, leaving Japan to move his character into the kitchen and wonder if he was about to be told the story of his character. The similarities between this area and Toriel’s home were a little unnerving. It was the exact same design laid out, except the colors were all white. Even the minor details, such as the fur stuck in the drain and the clean stovetop, were the exact same. A peek in the trashcan confirmed a clear connection between the two: recipes for pie. He took the key from the countertop and headed back out to retrieve the other. Another fight stopped him, and this time he was approached by more enemies. A _SRIEL, the king’s son, heard the human’s call. He brought the human back to the castle._

So it wasn’t his character’s story after all. He had been approached by Toriel after leaving the Ruins, not a character named _Asriel_. He continued on down the hallway and stepped into the first room he found, which happened to be the room Toriel had given him while he was with her. Surprisingly, there were two beds in the room and two boxes on the floor. He opened each of them and took the items that lay within. One was a heart-shaped locket, the flavor text describing that it said “Best Friends Forever”, and the other was a worn dagger, and it apparently was perfect for cutting plants and vines.

He equipped both and headed down the hallway. The only colors in the area were the abundance of golden flowers. Japan knew the imagery must mean something, but he had yet to decipher what. Again, monsters met him to continue the story. _Over time, ASRIEL and the human became like siblings. The King and Queen treated the human child as their own. The underground was full of hope._

He found the other key a little farther down the hallway and took it. He slipped into the room at the end of the hall, which he remembered to be Toriel’s at her home. However, in this area, it seemed that this room belonged to Asgore, given a number of the items within seemed to reference him being both a king and a dad. Japan exited the room and headed over to the mirror. He remembered it being in the exact same spot in Toriel’s home, and when he checked it, it gave an enthusiastic and cute description of _It’s you!_

He checked this mirror and found the description had changed. _Despite everything, it’s still you._ The words chilled him somehow, but he tried to push them out of his mind as he backtracked to the stairs to meet Asgore and continue the story.

The music changed as he headed down the stairs. More monsters appeared to him in rapid succession, filling him in on the rest of the story. _Then… One day… The human became very ill. The sick human had only one request. To see the flowers from their village. But there was nothing we could do. The next day. The next day. … The human died._

Japan felt his fingers falter on the keyboard, but he pushed onward. _ASRIEL, wracked with grief, absorbed the human’s SOUL. He transformed into a being with incredible power. With the human SOUL, ASRIEL crossed through the barrier. He carried the human’s body into the sunset. Back to the village of the humans. ASRIEL reached the center of the village. There, he found a bed of golden flowers. He carried the human onto it._

Golden flowers. That was where Japan’s character had started in the game; it was where he’d ended up after presumably almost dying after one of Undyne’s attacks; there were numerous golden flowers in the king’s home. All of the evidence was beginning to add up to him. He continued to move forward as the music continued to play.

_Suddenly, screams rang out. The villagers saw ASRIEL holding the human’s body. They thought that he had killed the child. The humans attacked him with everything they had. He was struck with blow after blow. ASRIEL had the power to destroy them all. But… ASRIEL did not fight back. Clutching the human… ASRIEL smiled and walked away._

The music changed into the melody Japan had heard at the statue. _Wounded, ASRIEL stumbled home. He entered the castle and collapsed. His dust spread across the garden. The kingdom fell into despair. The king and queen had lost two children in one night. The humans had once again taken everything from us._

The music reverted to its original state, swelling into a beautiful new key, the melody of the statue playing barely audible in the background. _The king decided it was time to end our suffering. Every human who falls down here must die. With enough souls, we can shatter the barrier forever._

_It’s not long now. King ASGORE will let us go. King ASGORE will give us hope. King ASGORE will save us all._

Again, the Asian nation felt his fingers fumble on the keys as a breath escaped him he didn’t know he’d been holding. The music continued on beautifully in his ears, unaware of his feelings, as he continued to walk forward in time with the beat, almost without thinking. More monsters appeared to finish the story. _You should be smiling, too. Aren’t you excited? Aren’t you happy?_

Japan continued forward despite himself, merely pressing the keys to advance to the next area. He knew the final battle was looming close, it had to be just right around the corner and if he kept going, he could finish the game. Another monster appeared, and there was a nagging feeling in his gut that told him this was the final one, as the music again changed back into the melody at the statue and the monster, a lone Froggit, paused for a moment before delivering its part of the story: the very end.

_You’re going to be free._

For a few moments, the nation could not move. It almost felt like his energy had been drained completely by the story and he momentarily considered shutting it then and there and going to bed, but fought against his urges. He’d come so far now, and he couldn’t stop until he finished the game. He knew it had to be soon. He waited until the mock battle and the Froggit faded by itself, and then waited until the music died away too before he continued forward into a golden room and saved the game.

In the golden room, he met up with Sans, who told even more about the game’s mechanics, about the hidden evil that lay within them. Japan had to move slowly through the dialogue, still a little dazed by the story the monsters had told him. Afterwards, he advanced onto the king – and after a many, he managed to defeat him, all the while pleased that he’d managed to save the piece of pie from Toriel for so long, given that it healed all of his HP and simultaneously brought down Asgore’s attack and defense.

Surprisingly enough, Asgore wasn’t the final battle. In fact, he had been so puzzled by the king’s fight at first; the option to spare him had been removed, so he had been forced to talk to him for a while until he realized that there was no other way to kill him. He was weary of it, given that it might mess up the perfect playthrough he’d done so far, but was relieved to find that he had the option to spare him at the very end of the battle.

However, his mercy meant nothing for the king, for Flowey of all monsters showed up at the last moment to kill him and take his soul – as well as the souls of six humans that Asgore had saved up – and transform into a monstrous beast: the final boss. It was a hard-fought fight that took Japan many tries, mainly because it changed up the mechanics of the game in such a way that made it difficult to win, not to mention it really unnerved him with how the game would close itself if he was defeated.

But eventually he managed to defeat the monstrous version of Flowey, and like with the Asgore fight, was pleased to find that there was a mercy option at the end, even though he didn’t feel as if Flowey really deserved his mercy. The game ended then – at least, part of it did – and a few credits rolled. Before the start screen displayed again, however, Flowey appeared to him and offered him some advice: to make better friends with Alphys.

And he did just that; after an entire mission of heading into a laboratory where amorphous, monstrous creatures – the results of Alphys’ failed experiments – lay, he was ready to end the game. He had approached Asgore again, but found that instead of a battle, an encounter with Toriel was triggered. And so all of the bosses of the game began flooding into the room again. It was a joyous reunion, and Japan found himself smiling at all of the witty and silly banter the characters exchanged at each other’s expense, until not surprisingly, Flowey appeared.

It was just like him to ruin a good moment, of course. Flowey trapped them all and nearly got away with killing the nation’s character – until his friends mustered up the strength to save him. He had to admit, he was touched, especially when not only the boss monsters, but all of the enemies from the game joined in to restore him to full HP and cheer him on.

He didn’t expect this to go according to Flowey’s plan, but it apparently had, as the flower cried out joyously _All of your souls are mine!_ The scene faded to black for a moment and then reappeared, with only a single character onscreen, their back to him. _Finally. I was so tired of being a flower._ The nation immediately put a name to the character, even though he had never seen them before, and it all began to click.

_Asriel._

The character turned and revealed a goat-like face, similar to Asgore and Toriel, the latter of which he’d already pieced together to be Asriel’s mother and Asgore’s ex-wife. He knew now for certain, before the character even opened their mouth, who it was.

_Howdy! Nihon, are you there?_ Japan had to pause his reading when the goat monster used his character’s name, which happened to be his own name. It felt like Asriel – like Flowey – was really talking to him. _It’s me, your best friend._

The little goat monster transformed, into what he assumed must’ve been an adult, with a robe bearing the same design as Toriel’s clothing. In large letters, the text _ASRIEL DREEMURR_ flashed across the screen. He knew for sure now that this would be the final battle, as the menu appeared, the text reading _It’s the end._

He scrolled to the ACT menu to see the options _Hope_ and _Dream_. He chose to hope, which reduced his damage for the turn. The attacks were simple enough to dodge; merely the same fire attacks he’d had to dodge from both Toriel and Asgore thus far. He managed to take only minimal damage, probably thanks to the effect of his previous action, and then chose next to dream. The text described his items filling up with dreams and on his next turn, he looked in the inventory. Sure enough, there were items inside labeled _Last Dream_.

The music, which had been a symphony of violins up until this point, changed into a guitar. The background of the fight turned brightly colored and began to move, as did Asriel’s sprite. The text read that the true final battle was finally beginning.

Asriel’s next attack was different. Instead of the little flames, Japan had to dodge white stars that rained down from above and exploded into more and more. His other attacks were similar: dodge beams that shot down or a sword that he sliced with or some type of gun.

He kept holding onto his hopes, dodging to the best of his abilities, relying on every shred of experience he had. Despite all the help in his favor, however, the attacks proved too difficult to dodge and he kept on taking damage. He considered using items to boost his HP, but didn’t know if Asriel’s dialogue would continue on if he did, so he merely allowed his health to drop farther and farther, until the killing blow was dealt.

Everything vanished around him and the little red heart that denoted his soul split into two. The screen paused for a few moments, longer than it ever did, and he waited for the familiar tune that played whenever he died to begin, but it never did. Instead, the two pieces of the heart shuddered, before they came together as one again. The text above read: _But it refused._

Bewildered but more determined than ever, Japan dived back into the fight.

The attacks weren’t as hard to dodge having seen them a second time and knowing what to expect. Nodding his head to the beat of the music, the nation moved the heart back and forth and out of the way of oncoming attacks as Asriel’s dialogue continued. He figured that was what he had to do to win; simply exhaust his dialogue out until something would happen. After all, he wouldn’t consider fighting him, and he didn’t think he had a chance to spare him. He needed all the help he could get with hoping and dreaming his way through the fight, especially since it seemed the attacks were getting harder as time wore on.

Eventually, Asriel readied what appeared to be a final attack, and the Asian nation braced himself for it. Even after it was over, he found himself with 1 HP left. The monster he was facing commented on the fact that he was still alive and then transformed into what was apparently a more powerful form. It certainly looked powerful, as it fired off some strange type of energy that managed to kill him in his first turn of fighting. Again, his soul did not shatter and merely pieced itself together again, allowing him to continue.

He could do no other action but struggle against this foe. Unable to dodge the attacks, he died a second time as Asriel taunted him for it. He felt himself growing frustrated with the game, but continued on despite it. He chose to struggle again – his only option – and the screen faded to black. A text box appeared. His character struggled and tried to reach their SAVE file, but it was impossible.

_But… Maybe with what little power you have left… You can SAVE something else._

Asriel’s sprite and the normal menu appeared again, this time accompanied by music. The guitar roared in his ears, a similar tune to the song before it, and Japan felt invigorated as he saw the option to ACT had been replaced with the option to SAVE, flashing in rainbow colors.

He selected it and the names of his friends popped up.

He didn’t know if he could only save one. The thought pained him to have to choose and he hoped with all his might he’d get to pick more than one, and even save them all, if it was possible, but unsure, he thumbed over his options and thought for a moment.

After careful deliberation, he stopped over one and chose to save his favorite character: Alphys. The text described that something was resonating within Asriel’s soul, and then transformed. In the place of his sprite, was Alphys’ with shifting white blocks obscuring her face. The text read _The Lost Soul appeared._

The nation moved his heart over to ACT. In the menu, were different options that he realized would bring Alphys back. He chose to nerd out and encourage her, smiling all the while as he dodged her attacks using the yellow heart mechanic he’d used during Mettaton’s fight. After the actions were complete, the white blocks obscuring the monster’s face disappeared, and she was herself again.

The music continued to blare in his ears as he was taken back to the original menu with Asriel. To his great joy, he found he had the option to SAVE again, though this time, Alphys’ name on the list was replaced by yellow text that read _(Saved)_.

One by one, he selected each of the monsters and played through miniature versions of their battles again: Undyne’s spears, Papyrus and Sans’ bones, Toriel and Asgore’s fire magic. Again and again, he chose the actions he thought fit them best and would call out to them the most, and slowly but surely, each monster came back to him and remembered him, until he’d saved them all, a wide grin on his face as he’d felt more determined than he ever had before.

As the menu with Asriel appeared again, he chose the option to save one more time. Even though he’d saved them all, the text read that he was able to save Someone else. He selected it, though he already knew who it was. His character reached out and called their name as the music faded into a familiar tune and an animation began to play.

With the same music that played at the statue of the monster filling his ears, Japan watched as the pictures told a wordless story of the bond between Asriel and the fallen human. It ended after just a few moments and reverted back to the battle screen. Asriel looked saddened, but he again chose to save him. The monster was distraught. _Wh… What did you do…? What’s this feeling…? What’s happening to me? No! NO! I don’t need ANYONE!_

He attacked, and the attack was longer than previous ones. The nation dodged it as best he could. He escaped with minimal damage, thankfully, and chose to save Asriel again. _STOP IT! Get away from me! Do you hear me?! I’ll tear you apart!_ He attacked again, but this attack wasn’t as hard to dodge, as there weren’t as many bullets. He could tell the monster’s resolve was weakening and he knew that he was doing the right thing.

_… Nihon… Do you know why I’m doing this…? Why I keep fighting to keep you around…?_ He attacked another time, but this time, the attack made Japan suck in a breath. Little fireballs fell around him and as he moved toward them, they parted to make way so that he wouldn’t be hurt. It was an exact copy of Toriel’s attack back from when he’d fought her, which seemed like ages ago.

He continued to save again and again.

_Because you’re special, Nihon. You’re the only one who understands me. You’re the only one who’s any fun to play with anymore._ The same attack happened again and he chose to save again, almost as if it were a cycle. However, the music, a lone piano, swelled into a beautiful crescendo, an orchestra accompanying it as Asriel spoke. _… No… That’s not JUST it. I… I… I’m doing this because I care about you, Nihon! I care about you more than anybody else!_

Just like when he’d been hearing the story of the monsters, it was almost automatic in the way that Japan selected the option to save Asriel in order to continue to hear him speak. _I’m not ready for this to end. I’m not ready for you to leave. I’m not ready to say goodbye to someone like you again…_ The cycle continued, with him waiting out the attack and then sparing Asriel.

_So, please…_ His words grew shaky and he saw the tears begin to form in the sprite’s eyes. _STOP doing this… AND JUST LET ME WIN!!!_ His heart broke at the words and Asriel raised his arms, preparing for an attack. When he brought his arms down, a beam of color-changing light erupted from him, engulfing the entire box his heart was restricted to. There was no way for him to dodge it, and he merely strafed from side to side in an effort to do something. It depleted his HP to 1 within seconds, and then to .90, and then to .50.

_STOP IT!!!_ He watched, entranced as his HP depleted more and more and the attack grew larger, the force of it causing all of the other options other than to save falling away. _STOP IT NOW!!!_ His HP dropped and dropped until it was only a sliver of yellow in a sea of red, but he did not die. Asriel didn’t stop his attack until his HP read 00.0000000001.

He chose to save him again. _… Nihon._ And again. _I’m so alone, Nihon…_ And again. _I’m so afraid, Nihon…_

Finally after a few more saves, the battle ended, and Asriel’s sprite reverted back to normal. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and apologized. Music began to play in the silence, and Japan recognized it immediately; the song from back at the statue. Numbly, he watched on as the dialogue rolled, and he realized all along that the character he had named Nihon was not actually the character he was controlling – who was apparently named _Frisk_ – but the fallen child he’d seen during the fight with Asriel.

The realization struck him, as he idly continued to press enter in order to advance Asriel’s dialogue, reading through it. After being given the option to forgive Asriel for what he had done, the little goat monster broke the barrier using the power of the souls still inside him. He then told him of how he would soon revert back to a flower without their power keeping him the way he was, and Japan was given the option to comfort him – which he chose without a second thought. Frisk moved to Asriel and hugged him for a long moment before they finally parted. The little goat’s final words nearly imprinted themselves upon his mind.

_Take care of Mom and Dad for me, ok?_

He rushed to end the game as quick as he could after that. As it turned out, Frisk woke up and no one had recollection of the battle that had happened, but the barrier was really broken. He was given the option to return to the areas he’d traveled through in order to talk to the monsters and bid them goodbye, and he did so as quick as he could without sparing any dialogue. After returning to his friends, he ventured out above ground and was given the option to stay with Toriel or leave.

Naturally, he chose to stay with her.

The credits rolled. They were cute and fun, not at all like the sort of credits he’d expect from a game, since rather than tell who had helped out with what, they merely listed the names of monsters and their apparent new jobs above ground. Regardless, he enjoyed it as best he could in his current state. He was especially pleased with the innovative mechanic that allowed him to avoid – or was he supposed to collect? – the names of people that had apparently worked on the game as well, and he knew he’d have to mull over it later when he was in a better state of mind.

The credits, which had been accompanied by fun music that was comprised of motifs from all areas of the game, ended with a note from what the nation knew must’ve been from whoever the creator was. However, before it really ended, a small cut scene played: Frisk lay asleep in a bed, crickets chirping in the background, as Toriel entered the room. She carried a slice of pie in her hands and carefully set it on the floor before leaving. While insignificant in the grand scheme of the game, it made him smile nonetheless.

Finally, it cut to black and then displayed the simple logo screen he’d first seen upon opening the game, accompanied with text below it that read _THE END_. Silence greeted him for a few moments, before the familiar melody he’d grown so accustomed to played: the song at the statue, the song during the story of Asriel, and the song during the final battle. It filled his ears, somehow managing to nearly engulf his every sense as he stared at the black screen. It wasn’t until a little white dog, a familiar character in the game that liked to cause mischief, lumbered across the screen and settled itself below directly below the logo and fell asleep, that he was broken from his trance.

It took Japan a few more moments of silent staring at the screen to realize that he was crying.

He quickly wiped his eyes with his bare arm, a little horrified that when he exhaled, it came out shakily. He didn’t know why he’d suddenly started crying, or when he had started, even. Had he shed tears during Asriel’s story? During the final battle? Afterwards? He couldn’t recall, and he only knew that right now he’d somehow been reduced to tears over the game he just finished.

He didn’t know how long he stayed there, staring at the logo of the game, his eyes still brimming with tears and his cheeks still wet, but eventually the logo and the screen faded in blackness. He expected the game to return to the menu screen, but instead, Flowey popped up. Numbly, he began to click through the flower’s dialogue.

He confirmed that everyone was happy, that everything was perfect, that he’d achieved the best ending. There was nothing more to worry about, except for the fact that he – Japan – could reset it all. Of course he did; it was merely a game and he had the power to play it over and over again, if he so chose to. Regardless, Flowey begged him not to, to let Frisk live their live and be happy with the ending he’d gotten for them.

With a final plea to erase his memories if Japan chose to replay the game again, Flowey bid him farewell using the fallen child’s name and vanished and after a few moments of silence, the menu screen was brought up again, though this time, a cheerier tune played than when he’d first opened it up, and he could see the sprites of the characters all standing together. It showed his play time in the corner – an astounding nine and a half hours – as well as his name and level, and it confirmed that he was at _The End_.

Silently and still trying to wipe his face of its moisture, Japan promised to himself that he’d never play the game again.

He closed the game and Steam. Indeed, the clock in the corner confirmed that it was six AM. He’d really been playing for nine hours, and his back surely felt like it. He desperately needed to get up and stretch, use the bathroom, and most of all, sleep. He was so tired, he felt as if he could barely hold his eyes open on their own, but before he slept, he knew there was something he wanted to do.

He opened Skype and dialed the last person he’d talked to, hoping he would pick up.

He was so thankful that he answered on the fourth ring.

“Yo Japan – whoa, uh, hey, are you…crying? Dude?” America’s normally cheerfully voice turned suddenly serious as he likely caught sight of Japan through the webcam, and the Asian nation quickly brought an arm up to wipe his eyes – and damn, when did he start crying _again?_ – as he tried to compose himself as best as he could. The other nation’s webcam finally swam into focus, revealing the blond’s concerned face.

Instead of at his desk, he looked to be in his bed and Skyping from his phone – which normally would make Japan turn fifty different shades of red, but at that moment in time, he was too preoccupied to really care – and he was missing his glasses, his hair in complete disarray, confirming that he’d probably either been sleeping or had just woken up when he’d gotten the call. “I – sorry – I played the game. I played Undertale and I finished it.”

Slowly, America’s face morphed into one of understanding, though his tone was still a little soft and hesitant in contrast to his normal loud voice. “Oh. Wow, really? The whole thing? Uh…” He paused a moment as he looked off to one side, likely to an alarm clock that rested on his bedside table. “Okay, it’s five here, so that means it’s…” He paused, a look of concentration coming over his features as he tried to count up the hours. “Seven AM over there?”

“Six AM.” Japan automatically corrected him, his voice tired and his eyes still puffy.

“Right, right. Six AM. I guess the hours add up, but…you’ve really been playing it all night? Dude…and after you were telling me not to stay up all night watching anime!” He let out a loud laugh that Japan wanted to join in on, but he merely mustered up a wearied smile in response. “But…haha, did you like it? It’s a good game, isn’t it?”

Japan nodded quickly. “Yes. I liked it very much. It was…a good game.” He conceded with another affirmative nod of his head as he nervously tugged the blanket he’d had around his shoulders for the past ten hours a little tighter around his form. America tilted his head to one side, shifting around in the bed so that the covers fell slightly, revealing that he happened to not wear a shirt to bed – yet another thing that would make the Asian nation uncomfortable were he in the right state of mind – but he didn’t comment on it.

“Hey.” He was startled by how serious the other country sounded. “Is that why you called me? Just to tell me you liked the game? And…why are you crying, dude?”

For a long moment, Japan stared at his desk in silence, trying to figure out how to answer the question. “I…I don’t know, to be honest.” He was a little ashamed of his inadequate answer, but he truly didn’t know how to respond to America’s question. “I just…the game got to me, I think. And then I felt compelled to call you. I don’t know why. I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?”

“Heh, you kinda did, yeah, but don’t be sorry about it.” The blond smiled beatifically, and Japan couldn’t help but feel compelled to smile back, despite the wetness that was still stubbornly clinging to his skin and betraying his emotions. “I actually knew you weren’t gonna be able to resist playing the whole thing in one night and I figured you were probably gonna call me, so I turned my ringer all the way up so I wouldn’t miss your call. Figured you were probably gonna wanna talk to me about the game.”

Despite the fact that America rarely ever paid attention to the feelings of others – and the Asian nation had experienced this many times over – he suddenly felt touched that the other nation was so willing to listen to him for once. Smiling, Japan sighed, before he began to speak what’d been on his mind for the past few hours.

“America, this game…I don’t think I’ve ever played anything like it. I’ll admit I was skeptical at first…I always am of your games, unfortunately, but…it rose above every expectation I had for it. It was funny, it had a great story, it broke its own rules again and again and defied its own logic to tell that story…the characters were incredible and the soundtrack was beautifully composed. I don’t know what happened, but I think when the game ended…it just finally got to me, how incredible it was and how much I loved it.”

His rambling was met with a smile from America, which grew wider and wider the more he went on. Japan found himself smiling along with him when he finished, and the blond let out an uncharacteristically gentle laugh. “Really? Did you really like it? I was kinda worried, since this isn’t really…the kind of thing I normally do, y’know? So I was afraid that it wasn’t gonna be as good as me and the creator hoped and that only a few people would _really_ get it, and I was especially worried that you weren’t gonna like it, because I know it might not seem like it, but I really value your opinion when it comes to these kinds of things, y’know?”

Japan tilted his head to one side. He had no idea his friend was so worried about the game, especially when it had been so undeniably and unabashedly _incredible_ , and to hear that he was ever insecure about something was almost uncharacteristic in nature, but he supposed it served as a reminder that even as someone as great as The United States of America made himself out to be, he was just as vulnerable as everyone else out there. “America, I don’t think I can tell you enough how much I like this game. It’s…probably one of the best I’ve played in a while. In fact, it…kind of reminds me of you.”

“Really?” The nation’s blue eyes, unobscured by his glasses, grew wide and starry. “Uh, like…how?”

“It’s…well, it’s a simple game under the premise of something bigger. The way you were talking it up, I thought it was going to be another one of your Call of Duty games, or something.” He smiled at his computer screen and at the image of America taking in all that he was saying, his expression one of utmost focus and concentration: a rare face for him to make. “But in reality, it’s just that. A simple RPG with a good message. Full of character and odd little quirks and ridiculously silly humor that all…somehow seems to pull you in and frankly…well, it’s very easy to fall in love with.”

Rarely was Japan ever able to make America blush, given that the man was nearly shameless, so he treasured the rare moments he was able to; however, right now, the other nation’s cheeks turned quite possibly the brightest shade of red he’d ever seen, and he couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped him at his sudden bewildered expression. “A-Aw, haha, dude…I-I didn’t think you’d like the game this much…jeez…the creator’s gonna be really excited when I tell him probably.”

The Asian country knew America was trying to play it off by changing the subject, but he simply let it go. “He should be. He made a wonderful game. Please let him know I said that.”

After nodding and telling him that he’d do that, silence fell over the two countries for a moment. It began to set in just how tired Japan really was, but he was unwilling to end the Skype call between them. After playing the game, somehow he felt as if he’d grown closer to America, and whether it was because of the values he’d seen or his silly humor or the truly simplistic nature he’d seen in the game that paralleled that of the man on the other end of the call he didn’t know.

“Ah, hey! You know what you should do after this? You should try to get the worst ending!” America smiled widely, and Japan smiled despite himself. He knew he wasn’t going to ever pick up the game again. He couldn’t, not after what he’d experienced and what Flowey had said to him as parting words. “You gotta do it by killing like, literally everyone. It’s hard to do, especially after doing a pacifist run like that, but you normally do things that way when you play RPGs, right?”

Despite the excitement in the blond’s tone, Japan could not share it. “Ah…I don’t think I could do a playthrough like that, America…nor another one at all, I think…” At first, the other nation was confused, before a simple _Ah_ passed through his lips as he realized the impact the game had had on him. He was silently for a long moment, weighing his options, until he finally spoke up again.

“Well…you could always come over to my place sometime and we could play through it on my computer, so you don’t have to reset your save file. I think it’s worth playing though, since a lot of the story that isn’t explained in the pacifist ending is covered here…but you wouldn’t even have to control the character! I could do it and you could just watch, if you wanted! I’d even let you hide behind me during the scary parts!” America was speaking and acting like his old self again, his heroic persona shining through as he sat up abruptly in his bed and gave a toothy smile.

Though Japan found himself doubting that there were really any _scary parts_ in the game, he grinned despite himself. Even if it was only to play a terrible merciless run in which he slayed all the monsters he’d just befriended, he found his body feeling a bit lighter at the thought of spending a weekend at America’s place, holed up in the other nation’s room under a shared blanket in the dark, gorging on snacks and playing through the game again until the late hours of the night. Perhaps they could even do another pacifist playthrough, after they did the one that he wanted to do.

“I would love to do that soon, America.”

The other nation’s smile was almost blinding, despite the fact that his eyes conveyed that he was still groggy from sleep. Japan felt his own will to continue on in the call drifting, as he was finding it harder and harder to keep his eyes open, and at some point during the American’s overenthusiastic planning and numerous ideas, they began to droop.

“Ah, hey, Japan. You should probably get to bed. It’s pretty late for you.” The dark haired nation’s eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice. The blond was grinning gently, a knowing look in his eyes. “You’re falling asleep in your seat, dude. Get some rest. You’ve had a long night.”

Japan laughed at his tone. He didn’t think he’d ever see a day when America, of all the countries in the world, would sound even the slightest bit motherly. “You’re right. I am tired. After all, I’m kind of an old man when it comes to sleep. I can’t keep up with you younger countries anymore.” He smiled momentarily. “But…thank you, America. I’ll talk to you tomorrow about coming over sometime. Good night.”

His cursor hovered over the button to the call, but he didn’t want to yet. Not without hearing from the other nation first. “Yo, no problem. Don’t know what you’re thanking me for really, but…yeah. See ya tomorrow. Looking forward to it.” He gave a wink and then burst out into his infamous laughter, a little too loud for Japan’s ears in his exhausted state, but he smiled anyways.

“Good night, dude.”

**Author's Note:**

> (it's funny cause like. the name is a reference to the final song on the undertale soundtrack. good night. yeah.)  
> anyways hope that wasn't too muddled/long (i didn't mean to make it as long as it is rip but i felt that all the stuff from undertale was necessary to building up japan's feelings)  
> and i guess his could be interpreted as being platonic, but??? i did not write it with that intention


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